Rating:  Summary: Co-authors out-do "themselves" -- romantic thriller & cops Review: The idea for this book was sensationally clever, and the best part is that the story does nothing to diminish the sparkling entertainment for which we had hoped! Roberts give us a romantic thriller in Part I -- featuring small town antique store owner Laine Tavish. Daughter of con man and thief Jack O'Hara, she makes a straight life for herself after nearly following in dad's footsteps. When insurance investigator Max Gannon visits her shop hunting for stolen diamonds, he finds not only clues but instant love with the lovely Ms. Tavish. Together they stave off the bad guys, mostly one Alex Crew, and recover most of the gems in a suspenseful plot.JD Robb, author of the "In Death" series featuring NYPD homicide Lt. Eve Dallas, takes over in Part II. Almost half a century later, she is called to a murder scene at the house of O'Hara's granddaughter, author of a popular book about the missing diamonds. Soon Eve, with help as usual from hubby Roarke and sidekick (now fellow detective) Peabody, is headlong into both the new murders as well as hunting for the diamonds. Meanwhile, it seems Alex Crew's descendents may be trying to gain what is their "due", setting up a race to the finish that keeps we readers doing the same thing! We're devoted fans of Robb but had never read "Roberts" before. We had no doubt the popular author was inventive, and that she carries the co-author charade to the extent of two pictures on the back cover tells of her own humor and lust for life. For Eve Dallas fans, this novel is an incredible treat; and for those Robert's fans who haven't met her, enjoy!
Rating:  Summary: A Superb and Sparkling Two for One Treat! Review: "Remember When", brilliantly co-written by Nora Roberts and her alter ego J.D. Robb, is an utterly delightful novel, melding present day romantic suspense with futuristic police procedural into one spectacular whole! "Remember When" is sure to thrill this author's multitudes of dedicated fans, and will, without a doubt, win over legions of new readers as well. With its hip dialogue, exhilarating mystery, and steamy romance this novel undoubtedly lives up to the extremely high standards we have come to expect from both Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb. The first half of "Remember When" is set in the present day (2003) and sets the stage for a mystery that will take more than half a century to solve. Laine Tavish is the owner of a small and modestly successful antique store in Angel's Gap, Maryland, where she has built a quiet and comfortable life for herself. But Laine isn't just a shopkeeper in small town, USA, she's also the daughter of con man "Big Jack" O'Hara, and spent the first half of life following in her father's footsteps. Laine believes she has left that side of her life behind long ago, but it all catches up with her when her father's best friend dies right outside her shop, dragging Laine into a multi-million dollar diamond heist. Private Investigator Max Gannon is on the trail of these missing diamonds, and his path leads him right to Laine Tavish. Though determined to find the diamonds, Max soon discovers that he needs Laine a whole lot more, and the two begin a whirlwind romance as they both tumble headlong into love. Laine and Max's relationship is exciting and enticing, and though it all happens extremely fast, Roberts' deft hand makes it all seem believable. But the trail that led Max to Laine has led a ruthless murderer to her as well. A madman who will do anything to recover the diamonds he thinks Laine can lead him to! The second half of "Remember When" jumps forward to New York in the year 2059, and a good portion of the diamonds have still never been found. Max and Laine's granddaughter, Samantha, has just published a book about the diamond heist, and returns home from her book tour to find her home ransacked and her housesitter dead. Which is how the case comes to the attention of Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who is now bound and determined to solve the case, catch the new culprit, and recover the missing diamonds. The cast of characters we have come to know and love in J.D. Robb's "In Death" series are back in this installment and better than ever, including Eve's charming, ultra-rich, and always helpful husband, Roarke and the Lieutenant's faithful sidekick, Peabody. And though the guilty party is essentially revealed to us halfway through, the story itself keeps the reader completely enthralled and tearing through the pages. So with the help of her husband and co-workers, it is up to Eve Dallas to solve this mystery once and for all, and close a circle that has brought about violence, deceit, and murder for more than fifty years! The very idea of this book was a stroke of genius in itself, and Roberts has smoothly brought that idea through to fruition. "Remember When" is a hugely entertaining tale, filled with sympathetic and admirable characters who readers can really root for. I cannot recommend this book enough, so don't hesitate over the hardcover price, buy it today! Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb are an unbeatable team and I can't wait to see what they come up with next!
Rating:  Summary: Terrific "twofer"! Review: The first part of the story is a classic Roberts romance, from the heroine who owns the funky little shop to the handsome and hard-nosed hero with a few "unexpected" gentler qualities. This part is also a bona fide suspense novel. We wonder just who the villain is for a while, and then what he will do to get the huge haul of diamonds floating around. The end is very satisfying and neatly ties up the whole story, except for one thing: Where are those gems? The second part of the story is the latest Eve Dallas "In Death" installment, although it doesn't have a separate title. Please note, all those folks who have not read "Imitation in Death," this IS the next installment in the series, happening very soon after "Imitation," so unless you want to ruin that book with bigtime spoilers, I highly suggest you read "Imitation" first. The Eve Dallas portion is a tightly written, fast-paced-yet-thorough cop drama that we have come to expect in the Eve Dallas series. All of the interaction with our favorite secondary characters is there, including the gorgeous Roarke, Peabody, McNab, and even Feeney, who was not present in "Imitation." The notable exception is Summerset. I won't say anything more about his absence so as not to spoil "Imitation in Death." This is a terrific two-for-one novel with the well-done experiment of bridging a story over almost 60 years hitting the mark in a big way. Highly recommended reading!!
Rating:  Summary: she's done it again!! Review: Never read a book like this one before. When the present day continues into the future! brilliant idea. Wonderful content!! One of my favorite books!
Rating:  Summary: Great new writing vibes Review: Oh, yeah. Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb nails it this time. This book is a gorgeously written old time romance story followed by a fast forward 50 years and slam dunk into a modern cop drama that ties together both stories. This book is brilliant, clever and collectible. I love Ms. Roberts experiential approach to writing. Each new book shows a rich new facet of herself as she creates "gotcha hooked stories". Her imagination seems endless and the sources for her material, in this case collectible toys, provides grist for her very clever mill in the most positive sense. I love her characterizations, particularly those that retain the feel of stablity while caught in the presence of chaos. Especially characters like Feeney and his bag of sugared nuts, the eye blinding clothes worn by McNab, the lust for freebee food at Roarke and Eve's home always amuses. The solid, new Detective Peabody flashing her new badge and getting her mojo in her new role. The unforgettable,gorgeous Roarke as he continues to show his incredible love and patience with Eve through all her crusty street wise mannerisms overlaying her bruised and tarnished heart of gold. For both of them, there could be no other. What a message of love. The Lieutenant is so tough/vulnerable and conflicted/honorable. In this story J.D. has Eve softening a bit and sounding more settled and calm as her marriage matures a bit and her feelings of security both in love and her life unfold. Still J.D. reminds us through Eve's voice that it is a tough go for this wounded warrior. The author really stands for women like this and I just adore that facet of her writing for to me it is the heart of her work. As J.D. Robb, she truly gets the vibes of real police work. Read this Brilliant book.
Rating:  Summary: Remember When Review: Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb never ceases to suprise me. I loved both stories and couldn't wait to finish them. Can't get enough of Dallas and Roark and just when I think the In Death stories would start getting old she throws in more suprises and keeps them fresh and interesting. I hope she gives Samantha her own story. Buy this book. It's a great read.
Rating:  Summary: Fantastic. Review: I finally got a hold of this book and read it in two days. This book spans 56yrs. of finding diamonds that have been lost in time. Starting in 2003 Lainie Tavish a shop owner runs into a lost old friend who dies on her sidewalk and tells her to look for a china dog,she has no idea what he is talking about. Enter Max Gannon a detective Insurance Agent on the case who is looking for a fortune in lost diamonds and a great mystery is set to go. The second part is 56 yrs.later and Shannon Gannon,granddaughter of Max and Laine is thrown into a murder and Eve Dallas is on the case. I loved this book it has everything. I wish more had been mentioned about Laine's Dad I thought he was cool. I highly recommend this bookif you are a Nora fan or Eve Dallas's In-Death books and you don't have to read all 17-books to enjoy it. Read it and enjoy.
Rating:  Summary: The Lure of Stolen Diamonds Review: The idea of stolen diamonds immediately lured me to this novel. I am just now being formally introduced to the suspense of award-winning author Nora Roberts. Quite frankly, I am thoroughly impressed with the talent of this very fine writer who has meticulously crafted a wonderful story. The characters are all amazingly real. Roberts manipulates time-lapses exceptionally well; this can be very tricky. I'm convinced that I have to read the other works in her series. Highly Recommended Read!
Rating:  Summary: 4.5 STARS! GREAT IDEA/NOT SO GREAT CONTENT Review: What a great idea! Part 1 is a Nora Roberts romantic suspense. Part 2 takes the story in Part 1 into the future with a J. D. Robb "Eve Dallas" finale. 5 STARS for the setup alone! As far as content goes, there is nothing new or exciting in the Nora Roberts half, although it is a still a good story. Most J. D. Robb fans will acknowledge that the last few Eve Dallas stories have been a little lackluster. We are hoping it is a buildup to new and better things for Eve and Roarke. 4 STARS. This makes my average rating 4.5 stars. I had to go with 4 stars overall rather than 5, because the whole book lacks the tension or edginess that I like in a NR/JDR book.
Rating:  Summary: two exciting novels in one Review: Although her father is a drifter, a con man and a thief, she loves him anyway even though she wants no part of his life. Laine Tavish has made a new life for herself in Angel's Gap Maryland, running her own business and fixing up her home. Unfortunately her stable life begins to unravel when she is dragged into her father's latest scheme, a twenty-eight million-dollar jewelry heist. The insurance company wants to recover the diamonds and hires private detective Max Gannon for the job. His search finds him in Angel's Gap where he meets Laine and falls instantly in love with her. When she finds out what Max is after, she agrees to help him provided her father goes free. Laine realizes she loves Max who reciprocates her feelings but if they are going to have any chance at a life together, she must find a way to return her father's half of the diamonds and stop a killer who wants her father's half in addition to his own. In New York in 2059, Max and Laine's granddaughter Sammantha has written a book about their romance and the diamonds that were never recovered. She comes home after her book tour to find her home trashed and her house sitter dead. Lt. Eve Dallas of the NYPSD is the lead on the case and immediate see it doesn't look like an ordinary breaking and entering gone wrong. She thinks it might have something to do with the diamonds that were never found and subsequent evidence gathered with her new partner proves Eve's theory correct. REMEMBER WHEN is really two novels in one with the common thread, being the stolen diamonds. The first tale is a very exciting work of romantic suspense written in Nora Robert's fabulous writing style. The second part of the story is an exciting police procedural written in J.D. Robb's (Nora Roberts pseudonym) unique and realistically gritty style. Although the same person wrote both works, it feels as if two very different authors worked on the book. Readers who are not familiar with J.D. Robb's "In Death" novels will find themselves fans of the series and try to obtain the backlist. Harriet Klausner
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